Natsuki Hanae and Yuichiro Umehara to Star in Short Anime ‘Koi Suru Shirokuma’

Koi suru Shirokuma (Polar Bear in Love) is a manga by Koromo that tells the story of a polar bear who falls in love with a (male) seal. It is currently being serialized in Kodokawa’s Monthly Comic Gene and will be adapted into a short anime.

The voice cast of the main characters, Polar Bear and Seal, has been revealed. Seal will be played by Natsuki Hanae, who is known for playing Rokuro in Twin Star Exorcists and Kotaro in Suki ni Naru Sono Shunkan wo: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai. Polar Bear will be played by Yuichiro Umehara, who is known for his roles as Takuma/Tiger the Dark in Tiger Mask W and as Ryou in TRICKSTER Edogawa Ranpo Shounen Tantei-Dan.

We also have some comments from the cast and director:

Comment from Natsuki Hanae (Seal)

‘The character is really cute, and I was taken with the jiggly Seal as much as Polar Bear was. I always feel a fuzziness in my chest when I read about Seal opening his heart bit by bit and the relationship between him and Polar Bear getting better and better. I’ll do my best to properly show off Seal’s cuteness! I also think Umehara is the perfect fit for Polar Bear, so I really hope we can make a perfect match!’

Comment from Yuichiro Umehara (Polar Bear)

‘I was really surprised to be offered the role of Polar Bear. When I read the original work, I was really sucked into Seal and Polar Bear’s comical and heart-warming story. It will be good if we can reflect the soothing atmosphere of the work. I’ll really try my best, so I hope for your support.’

Comment from Director Kazuya Ichikawa

‘When I got this directing job, I spent about 20-30 minutes of my day hanging around the bookstore. I wanted to see just what kind of people would buy this manga. But in the end I couldn’t catch anybody buying it…. But for those of you that have held this book in your hands and laughed internally as you turned the pages, I’ve decided to make an anime that you’ll love. Please look forward to it.’